John Horton Conway was a Princeton mathematician whose interests run broad and deep, ranging from number theory to topology. Although he considered himself a classical geometer, he had contributed to many fields of mathematics such as number theory, probability theory, game theory, group theory, knot theory, topology, algebra, etc. He was a genius, and he had a boundless curiosity.
Conway’s most outstanding achievements were the invention of a new system of numbers, surreal numbers, and the cellular automaton Game of Life, which is among the most beautiful mathematical models of computation.
Conway also had a talent for talking about mathematics with anyone, and his sly sense of humor made him utterly famous. For Sir Michael Atiyah, Conway was the most magical mathematician in the world. To get him know better, you can read Siobhan Roberts’s book, Genius At Play: The Curious Mind of John Horton Conway.
To honor John Horton Conway, we have curated the things named after him.
Conway Algebra
Conway algebra is an algebraic structure introduced by Paweł Traczyk and Józef H. Przytycki.
Conway Base 13 Function
Conway base 14 function is a function used as a counterexample to the converse of the intermediate value theorem.
Conway Chained Arrow Notation
Conway chained arrow is a notation for expressing certain extremely large numbers.
Conway Circle
Conway circle is a geometrical construction based on extending the sides of a triangle.
Conway Criterion
Conway criterion is a criterion for identifying prototiles that admit a periodic tiling.
Conway Group
Conway group is any of the groups Co0, Co1, Co2, or Co3.
Conway Group Co1
Conway group Co1 is one of the sporadic simple groups discovered by Conway in 1968.
Conway Group Co2
Conway group Co2 is one of the sporadic simple groups discovered by Conway in 1968.
Conway Group Co3
Conway group Co3 is one of the sporadic simple groups discovered by Conway in 1968.
Conway Knot
Conway knot is a particular knot in knot theory.
Conway Notation
Conway notation is a notation invented by Conway for describing knots in knot theory.
Conway Polynomial
Conway polynomial is an irreducible polynomial used in finite field theory.
Conway Puzzle
Conway puzzle is a packing problem invented by Conway using rectangular blocks.
Conway Sphere
Conway sphere is a 2-sphere intersecting a given knot in the 3-sphere or 3-ball transversely in four points.
Conway Triangle Notation
Conway triangle notation is a notation which allows trigonometric functions of a triangle to be managed algebraically.
Conway’s 99-Graph Problem
Conway’s 99-graph problem is a problem invented by Conway asking if a certain undirected graph exists.
Conway’s Constant
Conway’s constant is a constant used in the study of the Look-and-say sequence.
Conway’s Dead Fly Problem
Conway’s dead fly problem asks that does there exist a Danzer set whose points are separated at a bounded distance from each other.
Conway’s Game of Life
Conway’s Game of Life is a cellular automaton defined on the two-dimensional orthogonal grid of square cells.
